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GENERAL FORUM GUIDELINES
The A:M Forum is for technical support and the sharing of tips and ideas between users/prospective users of Hash software. It is moderated constantly by technical support representatives.
DO'S!
-Ask questions about the software.
-Assist other users... everyone was new at this once.
-Inform people of your version/platform when asking for help.
-Share resources; tutorials, models, textures, tips and techniques (link to useful websites).
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-Search the A:M Forum and FAQ. The question you are about to ask may have already been answered.
-Organize and inform others about user groups, IRC chats, image and animation contests, job opportunities, etc.
-Discuss what you are working on and let everyone know about magazine reviews and articles that relate to your projects.
DON'TS!
-Do Not be rude or disrespectful or mean to other forum members in any way. Personal attacks will be removed.
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User Led Forum Considerations
Firstly and foremostly, please remember this is Martin Hash's forum and that it is every A:M User's primary resource for information about A:M. In order to remain relevant we need everyone's continuing support and interest.
Secondly, understand there is a distinction between A:M (the program) and the A:M forum. There are some topics and issues that are outside the scope of this forum and most can be deduced by reading through the forum guidelines. These include such things as Hash Inc internal policies, business practices, trade secrets, and specific plans for the future not yet publicly released. Each of these would be fascinating topics of their own but are better reserved for private communications with a representative of Hash Inc.
Related to the second, is purchasing, customer service and other areas outside the purview of the common user who may have no interest in such things; subjects relating to money exchanging hands are beyond the scope of the A:M Forum and often can lead to conflicts of interest between users and/or Hash Inc. (If Hash Inc cuts you a deal on volume purchasing it's really no one else's business). Likewise, individual complaints about a product or service are best remedied by going direct with Hash Inc representatives empowered to make decisions. Please allow them them the time necessary to resolve your specific issue and consider the cost of customized solutions.
This last area is likely the source of much confusion because many see the A:M Forum as the official outlet for Hash Inc... and it is. But the forum is not designed for conducting business and private matters best resolved by going to Hash Inc directly. Similarly, bug reports are best resolved by entering them directly into the A:M Reporting system.
Many problems can be easily addressed at the user level just by asking fellow users in the forum. If someone at Hash Inc suggests the forum as a source, it is very likely a problem can be easily resolved. For tougher issues there is even more reason to take the issue directly to the source... you don't want the issue discussed... you want it resolved quickly.
Finally, remember that we want to pass this forum on to future moderators and generations of A:M Users in the absolute best condition possible. A:M is just that good a program and is worthy of our consideration.
Thanks for making the A:M Forum a great community.
4,160 topics in this forum
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- 34 replies
- 3k views
I'm working on this exercise today, and it is just brutal trying to get this character into the proper pose. I must have spent a good 20 minutes just getting the initial pose down. Is this something that gets easier the more familiar you are with the character? I'm wondering if there is something I am doing that is making it more difficult than it needs to be.
Last reply by Roger, -
- 1 reply
- 410 views
I seem to have misplaced some free animation master models had believed they came with the extras cd volumn 1 but was unable to locate them anywhere they are the Office Props models, stored a small assortment of desks, chairs, and various other office models figured i might be able to use em for my animation considering they are not my primary focus
Last reply by eptigo, -
- 1 follower
- 9 replies
- 886 views
http://www.digitalproducer.com/pages/jack_...tion_master.htm I tried this tutorial about 7 times now, I follow it word for word and I keep hitting the same snag over and over, I sail smoothly through it then I hit the part where I'm supposed to see the inside of my pumpkin through the eyes; nose and mouth. I keep reading over and over and try different things but it just doesn't want to work. One thing I don't get, is the face supposed to be the color of the inside of the pumpkin? Or is it some "window" effect through the facial features I need to create? Knowing that would help a great deal. I really wanna do this thing properly, I've been at it for so lon…
Last reply by Telvak, -
- 3 replies
- 395 views
Hi - where does it show who got 2nd, 3rd and 4th place or the January "Heroes" contest?
Last reply by flashawd, -
- 2 replies
- 530 views
I've lathed a jar that's supposed to hold a bunch of marbles one of my characters later pours into a dish. I figured either the rigid-body thing or the Newton plugin would do the job. I went with Newton. Marbles are clones of the 32-patch sphere and are used as Dynamic Sphereobjects [sic]. The jar is "Static with Action." I put 24 marbles in a semi-random vertical stack over the jar and ran the simulation. The marbles all pooled at the bottom of the jar in a likeable fashion. So far, so good. Later in the chor I lifted the jar and, to my horror, the marbles all simply fell through the bottom of the jar as if it wasn't there. This included the marbles that…
Last reply by ArgleBargle, -
- 1 follower
- 0 replies
- 433 views
My tutorials can be found here
Last reply by jason1025, -
- 1 follower
- 2 replies
- 656 views
So I watched a demo 34 minute tutorial by Jeff Lew on his website, and I was struck by how fluidly he is able to manipulate his models. When animating, I've never had the option of creating poses as quickly as he does, because my refresh rate is so much slower. I've got a 1 year old iMac Core2 Duo, with an ATI RadeonHD2400, and I thought that made my experience good. But now that I've glimpsed the other side, I'm just wondering if I'm missing some drivers or something, because he made this video SIX YEARS AGO, and he's putting my animating experience to shame. Thoughts? I mean, I have a second monitor, but when posing I'm largely moving my wrist a tiny bit and wa…
Last reply by robcat2075, -
- 2 replies
- 495 views
I did exercise one "you're the director" Here's all that i've got, I guess that's all there was to that!!! [attachmentid=15973]
Last reply by the_black_mage, -
- 0 replies
- 276 views
im making a jet and have got the base frame down but i need a after burner effect and was woundering if any one had any ideas
Last reply by Master chief, -
Hi - can anyone point me in the direction of a tutorial that someone has created that uses a particle system for jet engine effect? A solid, almost pointed short stream of fire. Thanks - Eric
Last reply by flashawd, -
- 1 reply
- 256 views
ok if you have seen any movie / game with jets youll know what i mean , when they go fast the wing tips give of a smoke like line , was woundering if any one new how to do somehing like this
Last reply by robcat2075, -
- 1 follower
- 12 replies
- 1.4k views
pretty simple i have a jet plane that has jet engines and i need an effect to show that its working something like this would be nice Image location i know that this image is attached to a modeling guide but the guide is to the wrong part of what i want , i want the flame effect not the how to build a nozzel
Last reply by robcat2075, -
- 5 replies
- 552 views
I've been searching through the old posts (for answers to questions that I'll be posting as soon as I know the answer is not already here), and I keep running into links that have expired. Several of these 1+ year-old-posts have links to johnl3d's website at http://johnl.inform.net . Unfortunately, the site is gone. Have you moved to another home, johnl3d? Or are those valuable documents lost forever? - Wes
Last reply by johnl3d, -
- 1 follower
- 3 replies
- 632 views
Ran into a problem right away trying to bounce the ball. When I right click in the transform Y scale box, as discussed in the tutorial, X and Z disappear so I can't copy it into the formula. If I type 1/Z I get a syntax error.
Last reply by JohnnyB, -
- 3 replies
- 601 views
I can understand you might think this a strange question (because there is a simpler way - maybe) but if I were to create two separate boxes, then place one on top of the other and join the corner CPs, are there still two splines or now just one?
Last reply by bubba, -
- 7 replies
- 721 views
I'm lost when it comes to collisions and the like. What's the best way to simulate the effect of someone jumping around on a matress? Mainly, the indentations of the feet making contact on it. Thanks in advance.
Last reply by frosteternal, -
- 4 replies
- 603 views
When I try to stitch in points into a spline they are offset or snap to existing points. Does anyone know what's going on?
Last reply by Zombie Squid, -
- 15 replies
- 1.2k views
Just saying thank you to rodney for all the helpful advice he has given me on the boards and through PM. And thank you to any others who have answerd my noobish qustions and putting up wit me horribl' gramma und my das 'orrible speeling
Last reply by the_black_mage, -
- 2 replies
- 472 views
Dare! Practice.mov
Last reply by the_black_mage, -
- 4 replies
- 540 views
How easy it to learn on? What I wish to learn in using this product is the basics (if not most) 3D animation. I have a good sense for animation, I used to do 2D using programs like EZtoon, Pivot, and Flash 8. Do you think I will be able to pick up on the normal motions of this program in about a month? Usually, I don't keep my expectations high, so I don't get frustrated, and this is no exception, but the look of the program is promising. EDIT: Could anyone point me in the way of a guide? Or is the Extras DVD sufficient?
Last reply by John Bigboote, -
- 1 follower
- 15 replies
- 1.4k views
Just had to stop by and introduce myself. somewhat of a late starter. I bought the software for the use of work. I have only tampered with the software with great success after the first few tutorials. I intend to immerse myself in it over the holidays followed by a bunch of questions. i look forward to the much needed and anticipated feedback.
Last reply by jon, -
- 1 follower
- 5 replies
- 988 views
Hello, I am new to the forum! I just recieved AM 2005 I believe (V12?). It the one with Sorserez on the front of it. I have done the exercises up to "It's A Pitch" and got through that one all in one piece! I LOVE this program! Is there any place I can paste these exercises for suggestions and/or grading?
Last reply by Johnny-N-Motion, -
- 12 replies
- 799 views
Let me know what ya think, did it in about 45 min one day during my lunch hour. NevikGreeting2.mov
Last reply by Rodney, -
- 5 replies
- 601 views
HI A:M community! Just want a quick intro. My name is Matt I am a 46 year old cg boomer (darn kids and their zbrushes and material nodes!), I have been doing 3d on and off for over 20 years now I am a 2d artist by trade but 3d is my passion hobby. Turns out doing what you love as a job really kills your love of that thing. So I will never do 3d for money haha. Animation Master was the first program I learned 3d on. I got the millennium edition in 2001ish. Still have my big fat instruction book and cd after that I jumped to 3dsmax as I was dabbling in game modding in Unreal 2004 then moved onto Softimage XSI. But I always dipped back to this wonderful program. e…
Last reply by Shelton, -
hey every one im new to everything but im learning it at school and i love it already i just perchised it
Last reply by phatso, -
- 1 follower
- 4 replies
- 1.4k views
Just on a High Level, I wanted to make sure I knew what I am supposed to do in each window so I'm not trying the wrong thing in the wrong place. I only have 3 actions, that I can think of, in my current short but they involve what are now 3 different models. Mdl Window: Place the CPs and Patches (Make the model) Bones Coloring? Materials? Act Window: Make repeatable actions Chor Window: Place Models Lights Cameras Add Sound Effects? Make non-repeated / non-cyclical movements I have a mechanical contraption (model 1) that is firing a Bow (model 2). The arrow(s) (Model 3) will follow a path to wherever I aim the path at that time. Actions: Preparing …
Last reply by thumperness, -
- 3 replies
- 2.3k views
Embarassed that I don't know how to do this. I have a Chor that I want to copy so that I can make another version with all the light settings intact but if I do a "Save As" it re-names the Chor and saves it to disk (which is good) but I want to be able to make a new version with the objects arranged differently but keep all the light/camera settings etc. BUTT!!! If I import the Cho it won't let me rename it. Am I making any sense? I know this should be AM 101, but normally a "Save As" function makes a new file in most apps. You guys are very patient with me and I appreciate it. Especially you Robcat. Any help appreciated.
Last reply by svetlik, -
- 7 replies
- 853 views
My Name is William F. Rogers I just got Animation Master at the 2007 CES show in La Vegas. I hope to learn this program well & tell some good story's with it. This software is much better then what I used in the old days of Animation on 486 computers with DGS software and Tips paint box. I still use my 486 computer with my 32 Bit Targa Board for medical research in my Reptile study's. I have it hooked up to my microscope now.
Last reply by nimblepix, -
- 1 follower
- 6 replies
- 585 views
Thought I could just make an action with the character applauding and add it to him during a chor but no. Even tho the ONLY things moving in the action I made is his arms when I add it to him in the chor. he gets all "whacked out" - jumps to a different position and every joint in his body is twisted horribly. Also, how do you copy a figure's pose at a given frame? Have tried Copy Keyframe/Paste Keyframe - no effect!!!! Shouldn't this be a simple thing to do?? Any help appreciated.
Last reply by svetlik, -
- 9 replies
- 997 views
Hello.. I'm wondering if anyone else has had this problem and/or if there's a fix for it? I'm working through the manual tutorials so I can follow through and get my AM diploma :-). However. I'm stuck on the first lesson, "You're The Director". If you'll look at the attached screenshot, when Keekat's Dynamic Pose is at 100%, his right foot is not positioned as it is in the picture, but instead gets sorta "rolled" to one side. What's more, when I put the slider back to 0%, that same foot remains in the same position, even while everything else goes back to the default pose. What to do? I'm using version 2005/Sasquatch (12v+) Thanks! EDIT: Ran…
Last reply by martin, -
- 0 replies
- 418 views
and when he comes into the choregraphy window he is standing on his tail
Last reply by gymcoach, -
- 1 follower
- 6 replies
- 639 views
Ok, I just got A:M Monday, I installed and got ready to use it to start praticing and learning the ropes. The things I have noticed, KeeKat , in Choreography mode in the Choreography window looks like his right ankle is broken and bent to the side. But when I select model or skeletal mode in the Choreography window, KeeKat is fine. I have found a way to fix it with the IK, but is this a temporary or permanent fix? Also the same goes for Knight when using his premade actions. I used the normal walk cycle action for Knight in Choreography, and his legs walk with the knees going the other way. Is there someway I can get around this, or do I need to find a fix for t…
Last reply by Rodney, -
- 9 replies
- 928 views
Been working some more on terrain texturing today, trying numerous techniques and still coming up pretty blah. You can't really see much here since it's a low-res preview, but there's not much to see. Just giving you an idea of a section of ground I'm working on. Basically a large grid pushed and pulled into terrain shapes. Now, how do I go about texturing this properly? I can't figure out a good flattening technique; endless decals-on-decals to patch stretched looking sides are starting to look pretty lame, porjection mapping a material doesn't seem to be going anywhere useful... suggestions? Thanks a ton!
Last reply by mtpeak2, -
- 6 replies
- 2.5k views
So I'm trying to make a generic "starfield" since they seem to have gotten rid of "front projection maps" I made a basic flat pane model and have tried applying a starfield image to it as a decal. Everytime I try, the program crashes. It even does it on VGA image size. I'm using a Windows 10 Machine with an AMD Radeon graphics card. It's a Dell XPS Desktop. What am I doing wrong?
Last reply by robcat2075, -
- 16 replies
- 873 views
OK i really somehow gotta learn this slowly, but i need to learn this, itll make my animating like 100x easier. Whats happening is when i animate someone in a choreography i make then maybe jump or jump then spin, or also recently happening the can can then a slap on the face, but whenever i do this it always starts from the begginning so for the can can move, it totaly ruin it, because he starts slapping himself in the face at fraom 0 moving his hand slowly up. and for jumping he starts rising into the air from the very begginnimg and for the jump and spin he start spinning from the very begginning too. i dont know how to make it so they start the second actio…
Last reply by robcat2075, -
- 1 reply
- 418 views
where can I get the keyboard shortcuts for AM v15
Last reply by Fuchur, -
- 1 follower
- 3 replies
- 1.3k views
Has anyone created a keyboard shortcut .pdf for new users? With things like what to press and click to attach CPs to each other How to connect bones etc...
Last reply by robcat2075, -
- 2 followers
- 3 replies
- 490 views
Ok been working a lot of the tutorials off the web site and even purchased the training videos form 2005, have a problem. A lot of the keyboard shortcuts don't seem to apply to the new version 15.0c So my question since I don't have the hard copy of the manual, just the .pdf from the web site where can I find a list of the newest shortcuts. It seems to me that the shortcuts are the key to most of the modeling which is what i want to learn, gotta have a character before you can make it move!
Last reply by Rodney, -
- 0 replies
- 769 views
Bizarre stuff keeps happening as I try to learn how to make an action with my flour sack (chapter 4 AM A Complete Guide). I made an action with the flour sack "hopping" which looks fairly OK when I play it. However, somehow the keyframes are "lost" to the toolbar -- pressing next or previous keyframe does nothing. And the action defaults to keyframe "1:00" when I load it -- when I play it, I see the counter jump to 0:00 then play to 1:00 where it stops, as expected. But I can't jump to any of the keyframes Now, I think something changed, because when I built the action, I was jumping from keyframe to keyframe. But I took a side experiment to see what wou…
Last reply by sb4, -
- 1 reply
- 430 views
How do I slow an action to a halt?
Last reply by robcat2075, -
- 20 replies
- 1.1k views
Ok.. still confused on this keyframe issue. All I want (for starts) is to move the left arm, then then the right arm. However, my character moves the right arm and the left begins to follow. Can someone please clarify this to me in a "book for dummies" mode please? I'm seriously lost again...I thought I had it, but lost it again. I've attached a screen shot of my work. Maybe that would help? Right where the vertical line is, his left arm begins to move. Thanks.
Last reply by jakerupert, -
- 1 reply
- 766 views
I'm wondering: when you are editing around in an animation and tweaking key frames, is there a way to "reset" a keyframe to the state it was in when you visit it and before you move off it? I'm aware of undo, but with subtle changes it seems it would be hard to tell when you get to the exact point you started, and maybe you would overshoot and undo something else you didn't want to. I suppose you could save project at each keyframe and reload it if necessary; seems cumbersome though. -SB
Last reply by robcat2075, -
I have a question about keyframes because I think I keep doing something wrong. I've completed exercise six "The door is stuck" and exercise seven "Can you say that",and I keep running across the same problem. When I put a keyframe in for a particular animation, say at frame 00:03:00, for some reason, the action wants to go back retroactively all the way to the beginning frame,00:00:00, to start it's motion; not at the point where I put the keyframe. Is there something I'm doing wrong or is there a bug in the software which requires a patch?
Last reply by Caroline, -
I have a Choreogrophy set up with my characters. I have him looking around then i want his body to move later. What exactly do i do to keep his body still??? I read the Manual but I'm still confused... plz help!
Last reply by robcat2075, -
- 4 replies
- 602 views
Hi Everyone, The other night I was working on a scene and the software crashed for some reason. Fortunately, I wrote down all of the Key Frame information, prior to the crash. It was then that I thought, what would of happened if I didn't write it down. Is there a way to save or print this information, for future use or in case of a crash? Thanks, Bob
Last reply by Rodney, -
- 6 replies
- 706 views
Ok... i got the movement part down with my character, because i copied the key frame just 1 frame after he was standing still. Now his whole body starts to rotate... Look at it. Messed_Up_Factory.prj
Last reply by Code D, -
- 2 replies
- 316 views
Hi guys, i am animating a charater, its pretty cool, but i m having problems with key framing, how can i learn how to key frame, any book or vedio lesson, will be appreciated.
Last reply by petokosun, -
- 1 follower
- 12 replies
- 962 views
I have some objects in my choreography. I select them and make them a named group. I try to pivot the group. The group pivots on the screen, but no keyframes are created. I put them in position 1 at point A on the timeline and position 2 at point B on the timeline. There are no keyframes in the timeline. When I preview the choreo there is no rotation. What am I missing?
Last reply by Jeetman, -
- 7 replies
- 765 views
I'm working on a walk cycle--I did one forever ago, but haven't touched on any actions or choreographies in awhile, so I don't recall having had this problem before . . . . I make my first pose, click off the model (so I'm not just copying that one bone), go to the end of the cycle, copy the keyframe. Then I go to the halfway mark and paste mirrored, which does absolutely nothing. OK, no sweat, my guy's a little assymetrical, so that's probably why, I just manually make a mirrored pose. But now, on frames 1 and 24 (the beginning and ends), the poses that were there have gone all wonky. One of the legs is now goose-stepping and the other is somewhere else crazy. …
Last reply by someawfulbridge, -
- 4 replies
- 585 views
Allrighty--I've attached the project with the walk cycle-in-progress, and here is the really screwy thing that messes everything up. If you move one of the foot controls down in the y axis, even just one click, the whole foot control goes flying out and away--but this only happens on frame 20! Unhiding the knee controls, it looks like they're misbehaving--but just sometimes. I am able to do a clumsy and still unreliable workaround by hitting frames 19 and 21 and then keyframing the resulting interpolation on frame 20, but that shouldn't be necessary. Also, rendering the test choreography of him walking along a path doesn't render right. He walks correctly onc…
Last reply by someawfulbridge,
